83.

Whilst the woman was talking with Jesus came his disciples, and marvelled that Jesus was speaking so with a woman. Yet no one said unto him: 'Why speakest thou thus with a Samaritan woman?'

Whereupon, when the woman was departed, they said: 'Master, come and eat.'

Jesus answered: 'I must eat other food.'

Then said the disciples one to another: 'Perchance some wayfarer hath spoken with Jesus and hath gone to find him food.' And they questioned him who writeth this, saying: 'Hath there been anyone here, O Barnabas, who might have brought food to the master?'

Then answered he who writeth: 'There hath not been here any other than the woman whom ye saw, who brought this empty vessel to fill it with water.' Then the disciples stood amazed, awaiting the issue of the words of Jesus. Whereupon Jesus said: 'Ye know not that the true food is to do the will of God; because it is not bread that sustaineth man and giveth him life, but rather the word of God, by his will. And so for this reason the holy angels eat not, but live nourished only by the will of God. And thus we, Moses and Elijah and yet another, have been forty days and forty nights without any food.'

And lifting up his eyes, Jesus said: 'How far off is the harvest?'

The disciples answered: 'Three months.'

Jesus said: 'Look now, how the mountain is white with corn; verily I say unto you, that to-day there is a great harvest to be reaped. And then he pointed to the multitude who had come to see him. For the woman having entered into the city had moved all the city, saying: 'O men, come and see a new prophet sent of God to the house of Israel'; and she recounted to them all that she had heard from Jesus. When they were come thither they besought Jesus to abide with them; and he entered into the city and abode there two days, healing all the sick, and teaching concerning the kingdom of God.

Then said the citizens to the woman: 'We believe more in his words and miracles than we do in what thou saidst; for he is indeed a holy one of God, a prophet sent for the salvation of those that shall believe on him.'

After the prayer of midnight the disciples came near unto Jesus, and he said to them: 'This night shall be in the time of the Messiah, messenger of God, the jubilee every year—that now cometh every hundred years. Therefore I will not that we sleep, but let us make prayer, bowing our head a hundred times, doing reverence to our God, mighty and merciful, who is blessed for evermore, and therefore each time let us say: "I confess thee our God alone, that hast not had beginning, nor shalt ever have end; for by thy mercy gavest thou to all things their beginning, and by thy justice thou shalt give to all an end: that hast no likeness among men, because in thine infinite goodness thou art not subject to motion nor to any accident. Have mercy on us, for thou hast created us, and we are the works of thy hand."'